What To Teach Your Children About Internet Safety

Keeping It Private

What To Teach Your Children About Internet Safety

Chenitha R. Lewis

Limit usage. Permit your child have free online time for, say, 30 minutes right after school to instant-message friends, play games, or visit social networking sites, but make it a rule that family time starts with dinner. After that the computer is used for homework and it's an IM-free zone.

Keep kids in sight. Have the computer centrally located. Your child is less likely to browse questionable content if she knows Mom or Dad (or her brother or sister) might walk by at any second. This helps you monitor time spent online, chosen activities, and resultant behavior.

Do your homework. Check his browser history to know where your child goes online, and check the sites regularly. Use security tools and privacy features — whether offered by your browser or Internet service provider, or purchased separately — for extra protection. GetNetWise has more information about these safety features.

Do I Know You

Should I Give Out Information

National Crime Prevention Council

To guard against identity theft, never give out your Social Security number. Treat it as confidential information.

Commit all passwords to memory. Never write them down or carry them with you.

When using an ATM machine, make sure no one is hovering over you and can see you enter your password.

When participating in an online auction, try to pay the seller directly with a credit card so you can dispute the charges if the merchandise does not arrive or was misrepresented. If possible, avoid paying by check or money order.

Adopt an attitude of healthy skepticism toward websites that offer prizes or giveaways. Chances are, all that’s been “won” is the opportunity to buy something you didn’t want in the first place.

Choose a commercial online service that offers parental control features.

Tell your children never to give out their address telephone number password school name or any other personal information.

Make sure your children know to never agree to meet face-to-face with someone they’ve met online without discussing it with you. Only if you decide that it’s okay to meet their “cyber-friend” should they arrange to meet this person, and then the meeting should be in a familiar public place in the presence of a trusted adult.

Tell your children never to respond to messages that have bad words, are scary, or just seem weird.

Tell your children never to enter an area that charges for services without asking you first.

Tell children never send a picture of themselves to anyone without your permission.

Make sure that access to the Internet at your children’s school is monitored by adults.